Moles and Voles
In the movie Caddy Shack you may recall the humor in Bill Murray’s attempts to eliminate the Gopher from the golf course before it became destroyed from all of the tunnels. We all laughed at his frustrations and desire to do anything to eliminate that critter.
For those of us who enjoy our gardens can relate to Bill Murray’s character however, it does not seem as funny when it is happening to us. We do not get gophers but we do get Moles and even worse Voles.
I don’t have or know of a sure fire way to eliminate these rodents but thought it would be good to educate about the differences between the two. So let’s start with the Mole.
 They are gray to dark brown furry creatures averaging about six inches long. Moles also have a distinctive long nose and paddled web feet that allow them to burrow quickly through the ground. Being insectivores, they only eat invertebrates such as grubs, worms and beetles.
Moles only have a two to three year lifespan and reproduce once a year. They can produce two to five offspring per pregnancy. However with all of the tunneling damage that a mole can do in such a short amount of time, you would think there would be a large colony infesting the landscape. Actually it is just the opposite. Moles are anti-social and only mingle when it is time to mate. The average yard usually has now more than two moles occupying the landscape.
It may appear as if it can’t be but so hard to eliminate a couple of moles from the landscape. Think again… In spite of the mole’s vision being terribly poor, they are highly sensitive to the touch, which makes eliminating them all the more difficult. Through their sense of touch, they can detect when the slightest change in their environment has occurred. Thus they avoid areas where their runways may have been disturbed or where traps may have been placed. Natural preventive methods can be used to detour moles from inhabiting your landscape. By incorporating plant material that repels moles like Caper Spurge, Castor-oil plant, Mexican Marigold, Daffodil, Siberian Squill and Crown Imperial just to name a few plants can be a natural and effective method. It is also important to mention that plants like Caper Spurge and Castor-Oil plants are poisonous and may not want to be incorporated around families with small children.
Another option is to use insecticides to eliminate the food supply from the moles. Without a food supply we can only hope they will move to another landscape. But do not be surprised if this approach is not effective since yards typically have an abundance of various invertebrate insects moles like to feed on. This leaves us with the final choice of attempting the process of mechanically removing these unwanted guests. Weather you try metal traps, noise deterrents, flooding or smoking the tunnels; be prepared for the frustrations and the comparisons to Bill Murray’s adventure.
Regardless of which method you choose, try to eliminate the moles in the early spring in hopes of preventing pregnant females adding to the situation. I personally have had the best results from watching newly formed mounded tunnels in the early morning for movement. Once I see the ground pulsate, I put a shovel behind the movement and dig up the little rascal. I am fortunate to have a large area of woods behind my house where so I release the moles in hopes they will enjoy their new home and in turn I get a little grace period before the next visitor checks in.
As you know, Moles can create enough hardship in trying to keep your yard looking good; it is the Voles that can quite frankly make you sick with the aftermath of their destruction.
 Voles are about five inches in length with dark brown fur. They have visible eyes and ears and are most commonly known as Meadow or Field Mice. Unlike the mole, voles are very social and prefer to colonize an area.
Their impregnation to birth is only twenty one days and average three to five babies. Each female can produce up to thirty offspring a year! Amazingly the lifespan of the vole is only sixteen months.
As herbivores, they feed on grasses, perennial flower roots, seeds and bulbs. They will also gnaw bark and roots off of certain species of plant material creating a certain death to the plant.
The best way to detect an infestation of voles is to inspect your plant material regularly. Signs of vole damage include foliage drying up as if it is lacking water or plants beginning to have an uncharacteristic lean. You should visually inspect the plant and physically check for the root system being extremely loose on a regular basis. If you feel the root's system not stabilizing the plant, look for chewing and gnawing around the base and roots.
Unfortunately the best way to eliminate these unwanted guests is to use Rodenticides containing Zinc Phosphide or Warfarin based poison products. You may also try to use standard mouse traps with peanut butter in the damage areas. However, traps are recommended in the fall and early winter. If you wish to try and repel the voles, you can try applying Thiram based repellants or urine from coyotes or foxes . This approach needs to be reapplied frequently based on rainfall or irrigation scheduling.
We all have struggled with an infestation of one or both of these critters. I know my neighbors have enjoyed a laugh at my expense as I sneak around in the yard with a shovel waiting for the ground to move. Hopefully this has provided a little more insight to the differences and characteristics of moles and voles and provided helpful identification and elimination tips. If you have helpful suggestions you would like to share feel free to contact us with your experiences.
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